thinkstep Integrates Sustainability Into Next Generation of Product Design
To drastically reduce the negative environmental impacts of products, manufacturers need to integrate sustainability assessment criteria seamlessly into their design process.
With a 5-liter engine, 12 cylinders, 221 kW power and 250 km/h top speed, the 1989 BMW 850i (E31) is a dream for every car enthusiast —the most expensive BMW manufactured in the 1990s. For the purposes of this blog entry, however, more interesting is that the BMW 850i (E31) was one of the first cars designed with a computer aided design (CAD) tool. Now, more than 30 years later, finally the automotive industry is beginning to see the potential of integrating environmental and substance compliance considerations into the early phases of the product lifecycle: The concept and development phase where new CAD-Iterations and design and material possibilities are evaluated.
In this context, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a proven and widely used method for analyzing the environmental footprint of a product. The first studies recognized as LCAs date from the early 1970s, so the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment is even older than the traditional CAD-modelling.
Right now, most environmental assessments are made on the final products. Yet, up to 80% of environmental impacts and costs are the result of decisions made early in the conceptual design phase. So, manufacturers desperately need to integrate sustainability assessment criteria seamlessly into the design process if they wish to drastically reduce the negative environmental impacts of their products.
